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River of Exiles
Resting to the Galactic North of the Dead World of Formund lies the vile Warp Storm known as the River of Exiles. Shrouding an entire Sector's worth of star systems, this lost and damned hollow of stars is a place of intense corruption and madness. Since the days of the Great Crusade this seething scar in reality has blighted the stars of the Exile Sector, seeding them with the likes of foul daemons and traitors. It is a place in constant flux between the material realm and that of the empyrean, where stars long dead suddenly blast back into life and the laws of physics only loosely apply. A place where Daemons and Warpspawn walk freely amongst both wrenched xenos monsters and depraved human barbarians. It is host to thousands of blighted worlds, homes to daemons and mutant hordes. Damned kingdoms rise and fall, and wage endless war amongst the stars. None but the lost and damned dare set foot in the River of Exiles, those hunted and hated by so many that only this disastrous realm would deter most would be assassins. Here is the blasted home of the Storm Draugar, who are doubtlessly the largest Chaos Space Marine Warband within the River of exiles. However, they are far from undisputed, with warbands such as the Everchosen and the Sons of Kruger also inhabiting this hellish zone of barbarism and war. These bastard traitors of traitors and madmen cast out by madmen constantly battle for supremacy when they are not crusading across the galaxy, spreading doom and destruction wherever they march. For the River of Exiles is aptly named, only the most desperate and ruthless dare to ply the will of the Dark Gods here, and only the strongest survive. History Chaos Space Marine Warbands The chosen of the Dark Gods, and most vile of traitors, the Chaos Marines of the River of Exiles are bands of depraved and savage butchers the likes of which could only be forged in the nigh endless crucible of war that is the 41st Millennium. Storm Draugar The largest and arguably most powerful Chaos Space Marine Warband in the River of Exiles and by far the oldest, the Storm Draugar are a fearsome force of savages and butchers. Led by the fearsome Blackspawn brothers and their select Draugar Lords, the Storm Draugar are a collection of the most vile and brutal traitors. Desperate and power hungry, the Storm Draugar carved out a considerable empire known as the Blackspawn Dominion, and now prosecute the Long War against both the Imperium and their fellow traitors. Few within the River of Exiles can muster a force so large or so well armed, equipped with fleets of armor and packs of Daemon Engines, not to mention hellish weaponary crafted from the firey forges of Lupercal's Folly. ''But most considerable is the Storm Draugar's close alliance with the Dark Forgeworld of Shear, giving them exclusive access to the formidable Legio Ferrox. Everchosen All that remains of the once mighty Warband of Nethruias the Black, the Everchosen are still one of the most fearsome warbands of the River of Exiles. Credited as the most organized and disciplined, not to mention borne of a zealous fire and iron clad loyalty that makes them perhaps the least prone to any form of infighting, they stand as a bulwark of True Faith against the myriad bastard cults and xenos faiths of the River of Exiles. With their vast armies of the faithful and elite bands of Legionaries, these Sons of the Urizen wage an endless war to unify and purify the River of Exiles, seeking to conquer it and subjugate the renegade cults to the true words espoused in the Book of Lorgar. Children of the Twisted Lash Once a powerful Warband whose dominance within the easternmost edges of the River of Exiles was unquestionable, after their defeat at the hands of the Storm Draugar and the loss of both their Daemon Prince Vorule the Omnipotent and their throneworld of Nosta, the Children of the Twisted Lash are a shadow of their former glory. But these devout of Slaanesh will not bow to oblivion, and with their lord and master returned to them, they are now on a great warpath, seeking to reclaim all that was lost. They are masterful warriors, armed with fell weapons blessed by the Prince of Pleasure and hardened by their crucible, they will stop at nothing to achieve glory and pleasure in the name of Slaanesh. The Unborn A mad cult of only a couple hundred bastard souls, the Unborn are a force feared by all, not because of the warband itself, but the eldritch horror it worships. The Unborn were once a force of Spider Knights, disciplined and deadly Sons of Corax. But during the Sacking of Beilas, they were exposed to the mind shattering voice of the Eldest, and ancient warp entity of such power that only the Dark Gods themselves can be considered above it. Pulled into the Warp itself by this monster, the 2nd and 3rd Companies of Spider Knights, in spite of their devotion to the Spider Cult of their Chapter and their loyalty to the Emperor, were broken and transformed into the horrid cult now known as the Unborn. Now the Unborn spread the truth of the Eldest, that the thin veil between realspace and the Warp must be pierced. For the Unborn see reality as an imperfect lie, a fragile veil over the eyes of all living things. They must reveal the truth of creation, and cast down this false world. And to this end, the Unborn wage a clandestine holy war across the stars, creating cults and insurrections on thousands of worlds, arriving only to summon forth their master to swallow whole these doomed planets so that their people may know of the truth and be united in bliss with the Sea of Souls. The Vile Blood Wracked by hideous mutation and blood hungry savagery, these devotees of the Blood God are a band of mongrel seeded beasts and savages. And yet, few have climbed to such ranks of martial honor or prowess, even the mighty Storm Draugar hesitate to close ranks with the likes of the Vile Blood. Their pirate fleet marauds across the stars, spilling blood and sewing death in the name of almighty Khorne. Considered gods by lesser beings, the Vile Blood are a force of unmatched devastation in close quarters combat, mutant claws and fangs ripping though both armor and flesh alike, snapping bone and buckling plate with ease. Such ferocity and power make up for their few small numbers, for they are certainly the chosen of the Blood God here in the River of Exiles. Star Jackals Led by the famous Pirate Lord Barkah, the Star Jackals are a piratical force of ruthless raiders and mercenaries, striking fear into the hearts of all who dare face their small but infamous pirate fleet. Masters of the void, the Star Jackals once served as Abaddon's chosen raiders, but the ambitious Barkah made many enemies, and was cast from the fold. Now, having found refuge within the hellish storm of the River of Exiles, the Star Jackals bring doom and death to all foolhardy enough to ply the space lanes of the River of Exiles, even the ships of the Storm Draugar and Everchosen are not safe from the Star Jackal's guns. The Disavowed Once loyal servants of the Emperor, the Disavowed now serve the Ruinous Powers as a mighty vanguard. Once they were honored Scions of Dorn, bringing their hammers and cannons down upon the heads of those foolish enough to resist the Imperium, now they break the skulls of those who dare stand against them, unfettered by loyalty and honor, betrayed by all they swore to protect. Stalking the stars in their mighty warfleet, the Disavowed wreak havoc with their great Chapter Barque, ''The Hammer of Retribution. ''Grim and disciplined to the rigorous standards of the Codex Astartes, the Disavowed are a rising force in the River of Exiles, and should the leadership of their Chapter Master, Abieshu continue to pay dividends, they could very well surpass both the Everchosen and Storm Draugar in their war for supremacy. Fire Lions Fearsome warriors, the Fire Lions have done battle with both the Imperium and their fellow traitors of the River of Exiles since the final days of the Nova Terra Interregnum. Avid supporters of the Nova Terra separatists and denouncers of the Imperial Creed, the Fire Lions fought nobly for what they held as the Emperor's dying wish, that man follow reason and logic, not superstition. Eventually they were cast out, torn to tatters by those they once held as honored brothers, and forced into the one place that those sworn to destroy them would never venture. Now they wage a war of vengeance and reason against the Imperium, even as the Dark Gods continue to corrupt and twist them. While they do not directly worship the Dark Gods, they are invariably corrupted by the touch of the Warp, becoming more vile and twisted with every act of desecration they commit against the slaves of the Corpse Emperor. Venom Warriors Vile plaguemongers and death dealers, the Venom Warriors are brutal devotees of Nurgle, spreading suffering and slow death where ever their plaugefleets travel. However, unlike the jovial or melancholy who usually follow Nurgle on the putrid path of damnation, the Venom Warriors are ruthless sadists, taking pleasure in the slow, painful demise of pox and plague. They revel in the hideous suffering of young and old, the deathless death their bodies hold, their supremacy over all that still breaths. For this black evil in their hearts, Nurgle has blessed them with the means to keep their ego, at the cost of what they held most dear. The Venom Warriors never show outward signs of corruption, their armor remaining pristine and shining, but their bodies are naught but sludge and muck, gene-seed having long since become nothing more but bile, much like the Venom Warrior's very souls. However, they manage to survive by spreading their corruption to others, and infecting gene-seed stolen from both warbands and loyalists. Practically immortal, the Venom Warriors wade into combat, laughing at the foes petty attempts to slay them as both their bolters and virus bombs butcher them in their pathetic fortresses and trenches. The Ashen Hand Grim followers of Chaos Undivided, the Ashen Hand are an indomitable force of heartless warriors, iconoclasts and destroyers of faith. Founded by a council of ten former members of the Word Bearer's elite Ashen Circle and several units of Word Bearer's Legion Destroyer Squads, the Ashen Hand seek to utterly unmake all but what they deem the "One True Culture". This true culture is that which they built upon the graven world of Dambaska, one of stoic and devout worship in the Pantheon of Chaos With Flamer and Axe-Rake they tear down the false idols of the Galaxy, from the heretical monotheistic cults dedicated to but one God to those who foolishly praise the Primordial Ones with false practices and inferior ritual. But most important is casting down the Great Pretender and His minions, the God-Emperor of Mankind. With their vile phosphex grenade launchers and flamers, they swiftly and mercilessly bring low all those who deviate from the One True Culture. The Grey Geists Whispers in the viod, the Grey Geists play what they call "The Great Game", from the shadows, preferring to bring low their enemies and rivals with pinpoint strikes and brilliant manipulation. It is no wonder then, that they kneel at the madding altar of Tzeentch. Utilizing thier Sorcerer kabals and spy cults, the Grey Geists balance the scales of power in both the River of Exiles and the Galaxy beyond. Plotting from their fortress within the bowels of the Space Hulk ''Child of Providence, ''they worship their patron and marshal their might, ready to strike anywhere at any time. The Grey Geists fight with cunning and guile, striking where their enemy is weakest and letting their mortal minions take the brunt of any harsh engagement. Their powerful Sorcerers are most dangerous, utilizing both arcane spells of destruction and mind bending abilities that confound and panic the enemy. The Crusade Eternal Warriors who revel in the unending carnage of the bleak galaxy, the Crusade Eternal were once a fearsome weapon, leveled at only the most dangerous enemies of the Imperium of Man. But shortly after their inception in the cursed 21st Founding, the Crusade Eternal turned upon the hand that held them leashed, and went on a bloody, unending warpath, that still rages today. Believed to be of Black Templar's linage by way of the honorable Imperial Fists, the Crusade Eternal were designed to love war. They find a perverse joy in wanton and mindless devastation, wielding their weapons and blades with a reckless fervor. They wade headlong into battle, heavy weapons roaring and Thunderhawks raining fire from the skies. Traitor Guard Warbands Maruaders and vile raiders who were once servants of the Imperium of Man, the Traitor Guard Warbands of the River of Exiles are some of the most craven and ruthless of their kind known in the Galaxy. They are many and they are ravenous for both wealth and power. Some are armies of raving fanatics, beholden only to their evil and eternally hungry gods. Others are but heavily armed pirates, roving the ever shifting starscape of the River of Exiles, plundering for power and glory. Still others are ruthless mercenaries, fighting only for the highest bidder. Be the conquerors or sell-swords, the Traitor Guard of the River of Exiles are a force to be reckoned with. Sons of Kruger One of the largest and best organized warbands in the River of Exiles, the Sons of Kruger is a massive force of Traitor Guardsmen, mercenary bands, and pirates. Obstinately controlling the largest human empire of outsiders in the River of Exiles, easily over twenty star systems, the Sons of Kruger have the manpower and resources to openly defy the Chaos Space Marine Warbands of the River of Exiles and do so very successfully. They are made up of broken and lost souls, veterans of innumerable wars, some having survived for centuries due to the maddening effects of the Warp. These are desperate and ruthless warriors, gathered under one banner by the ruthless warlord, Colonel Jeremiah Kruger. With discipline and the blessings of the Dark Gods, the Sons of Kruger have stood against thousands of enemies, crushing them all beneath their boots and treads as a nigh endless tide of malice and spite. Though broken body and mind, the Sons of Kruger are far from defeated. Warriors of the Vermilion Damask A ruthless raider mercenary band dedicated to Khorne, the Warriors of the Vermilion Damask are a force feared by even the mighty Chaos Space Marine Warbands of the River of Exiles. Known for their vicious fast attack methods and close combat ability in spite of being mere mortals, the Warriors of the Vermilion Damask are noted experts in urban warfare. Generally acting as hired guns and extra muscle for the myriad empires and warbands of the River of Exiles, the Warriors of the Vermilion Damask are also well known for undertaking their own vicious campaigns of slaughter, putting whole worlds to the torch and ceaselessly raiding merchant fleets across the Segmentum Ultima. The Warriors of the Vermilion Damask gain their namesake from the blood red and elaborately patterned bandannas they employ. These are worn by members in various ways, either as a headband, facemask, or armband. Regardless this simple piece of cloth is a symbol of such butchery that only the most steely hearted or mad native of the River of Exiles would resist the urge to turn and run at the mere sight of it. Scullions of Decay Foul devotees of Nurgle, this genocidal band ply their trade across the bleeding stars of the River of Exiles, sewing death and destruction for their Charnel Lord. The Scullions of Decay are well known for their endless genocide crusade, spreading the foul gifts of Nurgle to various worlds, leaving only dead worlds in their wake. They are easily identifiable by their charnel fleets, vomited forth from the hellish void of the River of Exiles. The Scullions themselves fight with an eerie discipline, their corrupted and diseased forms marching forth, weapons belching forth slow death and suffering while they themselves suffer the enemies attacks with little compunction. Othello's Raptors Nightmarish reavers and fearsome fighters, Othello's Raptors are an elite warband of Traitor Guard who specialize in airborne assaults and lighting fast attacks. These craven murderers strike where the foe least expects, or where the most collateral damage can be wreaked. Equipped with advanced wargear and daemonic weaponry, Othello's Raptors are easily one of the most well equipped and trained force of Traitor Guard in the River of Exiles. However, they are also one of the smallest warbands, and thus rely on their training and skill to overcome any rivals or foes they come across. Generally Othello's Raptors act as sell-swords for other warbands, but occasionally they undertake their own vicious raids, razing and looting settlements across the surfaces of countless worlds. They are vicious, without honor or mercy, striking in the dead of night, slitting the throats of men as they sleep and taking captive their women and children as trophies of war. The Order of Zalimuch A terrible occult order brought about on the sorcereous world of Zalimuch, the Order of Zalimuch is a powerful kabal of apostate psykers and sorcerers with a sizable army of deadly traitor guard armed with powerful daemonic weaponry and monstrous mutations. Once part of a force numbering in the millions, now the Order of Zalimuch is but a few paltry thousand. They are all that remains of the disastrous Artinian Crusade, which saw thousands upon thousands of Imperial Guard Regiments and Imperial Navy Fleets dive into the River of Exiles, never to return. Now the survivors, under the thrall of the Primaris Psyker, turned Apostate Sorcerer Lord, Nathanial Bleak, lord over the world of Zalimuch. With their ranks led by the Tzeetchen sorcerers of the Cult of Bleak, and their weaponry imbued with the power of the Warp itself, the Order of Zalimuch are a force so feared that even the almighty Storm Draugar and Sons of Kruger balk at the prospect of meeting them upon the field of battle. The Steel March An unbreakable horde of steel and fury, the Steel March is a Traitor Guard Warband whose raw might and ferocity is terrible to behold. The result of the great Tallios Defections, the Steel March is a heavily armed warband of no less than ten thousand traitor guard, with a mighty warfleet originally built to stem the tide of horrors sallying forth from the River of Exiles. The Steel March are a fanatical army of renegades and warmongers, formerly of the mechanized Guard Regiments stationed with Battlefleet Tallios. Now they crusade across the stars, spreading murder and despair in the name of the Dark Gods with their mighty armored legions and vast artillery batteries. 989th Firesworn Formerly the 989th Krephush Guard, the 989th Firesworn were born when a sudden bloom in a region of the River of Exiles consumed their homeworld of Krephush. There on routine recruitment detail, the battle hardened but depleted 989th and several other Krephush Pyreguard Regiments fought for their Hive World. As the planet became infested with daemons and mad cults, the order was given by acting Colonel Geive. The Damascus Protocol was initiated, and the hives were scoured with blasts of Phosphex, placed in all levels of the hives should the day come that the River of Exiles swallowed this border world whole. What remained now scoured the wreckage of Krephush, eventually devolving into the savage pyromaniacs known as the Firesworn. Since those days the Firesworn Regiments have long since departed from their homeworld, most joining larger bodies or dying off, but the 989th still stands to this day. They keep an eternal vigil over Krephush and her neighboring star systems, going to war against all who would dare transgress against their sovereign land, and occasionally going to war in order to secure resources to keep the populations under their control alive. These grim butchers freely use deadly gas, phosphex bombs, and tainted flamers to scorch away their foes, taking all that is left untouched by the flames for themselves. The Slaughtermiesters A blight upon the stars, the Slaughtermiesters are a fearsome renegade band who strike with speed and savage fury. Once the Slaughtermiesters went by another name, the 621st Attilan Rough Riders. They, along with several other regiments of Imperial Guard and no less than three full Space Marine Chapters, were lost to the River of Exiles during the 3rd Exile Wars. But unlike so many of their slain comrades, the 621st survived, fighting for their lives on the frozen Death World of Tungra. But survival in body did not ensure the survival of the soul, and the Attilans that remained of the 621st were utterly corrupted by the sheer brutality of the war they fought against the forces of Chaos. Now they are nought but savages, mounted upon their mutant steeds, armed with fell weapons of Chaos, they ride for blood, and the Galaxy's ending. They took up the name granted to them by their commander, Temer, who says that such a name was granted to them by non-other than their sacred patron, Khorne. The Legions of Carrion A bleak scourge of tanks and thumping jackboots, the Legions of Carrion are some of the most brutal and uncompromising Traitor Guard in the River of Exiles. Hailing from their charnel fortresses upon the world of Carrion, the Legions themselves were borne of desperate survivors gathered together following the climax of the 2nd War of Exiles. Then only a force of four thousand men, the Legions of Carrion have grown under the influence of their so-called "Carrion King", General Vax Batha. Having survived on the hellish world of Carrion for several centuries, and having built up their numbers to considerable proportions, the Legion of Carrion is a formidable force of mechanized infantry and deadly heavy armor. The Legions of Carrion are by far one of the most versatile war machines of the River of Exiles, for while armored squadrons are their standard, they have been known to have specialized units capable of every conceivable tactic, from guerrilla warfare to airborne assault. Dark Forgeworlds Vile hosts of hereteks and madmen, the Dark Forgeworlds of the River of Exiles are few but powerful bastions of madness. Each possesses its own Traitor Titan Legion, and are essentially immune to all but the most severe assault, for their weapons and power is such that even the great Daemon Princes and Chaos Lords must pay homage to them for their arms and armor. It is the Dark Forgeworlds that provide the material for the endless conflict, and it is they who profit the most from this state of unending war. While the Warbands and apostate Empires squabble, the Dark Forgeworlds watch from their black spires, plotting their next great achievement in the endless quest for blasphemous knowledge. Shear Vile, opportunistic, and arguably one of the stronger Dark Forgeworlds in terms of raw military might, Shear and its cabal of Heretek Magos, known as the Circuit, commands considerable influence due to it's close alliance with the Storm Draugar. Shear trades regularly with the other worlds of the Blackspawn Dominion, and enjoys the protection of the Blackspawn brothers and its own small but formidable Titan Legion, Legio Ferrox. Though not as sizable as most other Titan Legions within the River of Exiles, Legio Ferrox does host the sole Emperor-Class Titan in the entire Exile Sector, ''Yangin Marka. Shear's technology is considerable, but lacking in imagination, being simply perfections on existing materials. While this leads to a very formidable Dark Skitarii army and Titan Legion, the Circuit is in no way the most mighty or influential Dark Forgeworld, simply the most forceful and funded. For where the Circuit lacks in imagination, it most certainly does not want in raw manpower or might. Gorgokush Hadus Prime Borcaide Lost and Damned Empires Unlike the roving Warbands that pollute the River of Exiles, the Empires of the Lost and Damned are usually Multi-Planet or Multi-System organizations, some of which long predate the Imperium. The people of these vile kingdoms have likely never seen what exists outside of the hellish realm they call home, and the only interaction they have with outsiders tends to be war. Thus, these are lost souls, those who will never know the light of the Emperor, for their souls are forfeit the moment they are born. Their vast and considerable armies are battle hardened and blessed by the Dark Gods with various boons and gifts. Should these warfleets ever venture out of the River of Exiles and into Imperial territory, the destruction and bloodshed will rival that dealt by any of the warbands who hide behind the shroud of the River of Exiles. The Confederacy of Moorn The Kingdom of Iblis The Burning Hordes of Deredrum Though considered a protectorate of the Storm Draugar, the daemon hives of Deredrum and its slave worlds within the Deredrum system is still very much an empire in its own right. Ruled by their immensely powerful sorcerer queen, Lady Barbarossa, the fanatical slaves of Deredrum and her neighboring worlds regularly make war upon their neighbors. The Burning Hordes are an army of mad cultists, sworn to the Cult of the Lady of Pain, the worship of Lady Barbarossa as nothing less than a living goddess, a blessing to the people of the Deredrum from the Dark Gods themselves. To show their utter devotion to her every whim and word, they will freely throw themselves upon the blades of the enemy, crushing them beneath a tide of millions. The most zealous of these teaming ranks, so devoted to the Lady of Pain, inject a vicious cocktail of lethal combat drugs, and set themselves alight. These burning hordes charge the enemy, screaming like daemons from the Warp itself, weapons brandished and flames licking their bodies. The Brotherhood of Bael The Covenant of Nekris The Ralian Empire Xenos Empires The River of Exiles is not home to only the lost and damned of mankind, but also host to various dark and mysterious alien empires as well. These strange and deadly hosts of hideous xenos have lived within the River of Exiles for centuries, some predating mankind's golden age while others have only recently found the means to leave the boundaries of their homeworld. These alien empires are usually armed with ancient weaponry and abominable biology such that even the most powerful of the lost and damned balk at the prospect of going to war against these horrors. The Dread Swarm of Burchis Home to the nightmarish Burcharian race, the Dread Swarm of Burchis is arguably one of the most technologically advanced xenos empires within the River of Exiles, having adapted a form of Warp Drive and a devastating arsenal of weaponry. The Burcharian is a xenos creature the likes of which even the mighty Chaos Space Marines must be weary of, standing easily head and shoulders over the average astartes and bearing powerful weapons such as the Burcharian Swarmblade and Arcgun. With such potent weapons and soldiery, it is no wonder these locust like creatures control such a sizable empire, with a total of thirteen worlds under their control and several more asteroid clusters. As the Burcharians have no known means of communicating with other races, it can be assumed only from their actions that they are invariably hostile to any non-Burcharian the encounter, butchering them in complete silence and feasting upon their bodies with their slicing mandibles.Category:Chaos Category:Warp Phenomenon Category:Storm Draugar